Key Apple TV designer Ben Keighran leaves Apple with startup plans in mind

Posted:
in iPod + iTunes + AppleTV
One of the people principally responsible for the look and feel of the new Apple TV's interface, Ben Keighran, is reportedly leaving Apple shortly with the eventual goal of founding a new business.




The designer was originally brought over to Apple in 2012 through the latter's acquisition of Chomp, a search startup, Re/code noted. Until now his immediate superior has been Bill Bachman, senior director of Design, iTunes, and Apple TV.

Keighran commented that Apple "looked at many different ways of delivering an awesome TV experience" before settling on its current path, and that his decision to leave Apple has been reluctant.

"I've totally fallen in love with the people, the culture, the product," he said.

The fourth-generation Apple TV is based on tvOS, an evolution of the interface in the third-gen device. While similar in layout, there are cosmetic changes and several new features, most importantly Siri voice control and support for user-installed apps.

Apple has been heavily promoting apps -- and by extension, its new set-top -- as "the future of television." It's unclear to what extent, if any, Keighran might've been involved in designing Apple's suspended live TV service.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 32
    thrangthrang Posts: 1,008member
    Honestly, good. ATV4 really offered little fundamental UI improvements from 3. He didn't invent Siri, which is one of the largest changes, nor the app concept. 4 needed a stronger UI lift.
    asdasdanantksundaramcash907censored
  • Reply 2 of 32
    lkrupplkrupp Posts: 10,557member
    Well at least the Apple TV haters have someone they can demonize now. They can throw darts at his picture because the ATV4 does not have 4K and an optical audio port and any other feature or port that makes the device an abject EPIC fail. Go get him, haters.
    dementuschikanlatifbpfastasleepRayz2016
  • Reply 3 of 32
    Running a business isn't a cakewalk, so good luck to him. Wait until he actually has something to show before throwing him under (or on top of) the bus.
  • Reply 4 of 32
    thrangthrang Posts: 1,008member
    Look and feel means GUI to me. Not the HW decisions, or underlying tech.
    mike1bobschlobwilliamlondon
  • Reply 5 of 32
    lkrupp said:
    Well at least the Apple TV haters have someone they can demonize now. They can throw darts at his picture because the ATV4 does not have 4K and an optical audio port and any other feature or port that makes the device an abject EPIC fail. Go get him, haters.
    I don't think he would've been involved in the technical aspects of the device like 4K, ports and such; he's a UX guy. But I get your point in humor
  • Reply 6 of 32
    I'm wonder if he was frustrated by the lack of forward progress with Apple offering more TV content. If it's been shelved indefinitely that could damped ones enthusiasm for the project. On projects like this, if enough time passes all the UI stuff gets dated just sitting there in limbo. In the end no one outside sees all that work and when and if the deal actually goes through it all has to be redone to bring the style up to date.
  • Reply 7 of 32
    Good... Not at all happy with tvos super halfbaked implementation. .. Key organizational features missing.... After such a long time of anticipating an awesome solution from apple... We just get a bla...update !
    edited January 2016 anantksundaram
  • Reply 8 of 32
    I think he has an idea for a thermostat Google might be interested in....
    SpamSandwichDeeeds
  • Reply 9 of 32
    lkrupp said:
    Well at least the Apple TV haters have someone they can demonize now. They can throw darts at his picture because the ATV4 does not have 4K and an optical audio port and any other feature or port that makes the device an abject EPIC fail. Go get him, haters.
    They will need to wait in line while the Apple devotees throw darts at him for thinking he can do better at some other company.  Ingrate.  He is clearly unfit to work at Apple because only the best engineers work there and only a complete moron would want to leave.  Therefore he deserves to be demonized.
    edited January 2016
  • Reply 10 of 32
    dugbugdugbug Posts: 283member
    it was a bear programming tvos with up/down/left/right/select :)
    freshmaker
  • Reply 11 of 32
    The bad news ---- he'll be replaced by the guys did Apple Music's UI.
    freshmakercali
  • Reply 12 of 32
    Perhaps someone can explain to me: what's truly new and different about the @TV4 interface?

    (As an aside, this is the first major product update from Apple that I have not bought, in a very long time. In part because it seemed to offer not much that was new or different. I'd like to be convinced that was a wrong decision). 
  • Reply 13 of 32
    You guys need to wake up! Siri + Deep Search is a BIG DEAL! It needs work and polish but it really is the future of television.
    caliRayz2016
  • Reply 14 of 32
    Yeah he is the key behind Apple not supporting 4K...there is not very much 4K content so who really cares.  Apple needs to take this space more seriously as a company.  They are getting to arrogant for my liking.
    edited January 2016 Deeeds
  • Reply 15 of 32
    Buy Time Warner and get on with it.
    cali
  • Reply 16 of 32
    Hmm...this is interesting. According to the re/code piece this guy was responsible for TV software UI but reported up through Eddy Cue, not the user interface team. Which just confirms something I've long suspected: the user interface team under Jony Ive (technically Tim Cook) isn't responsible for all UI, just OS X, iOS and watchOS. iTunes, Music and TV have their own UI teams.
    brakkenpalomineDeeeds
  • Reply 17 of 32
    flaneurflaneur Posts: 4,526member
    . . . Apple needs to take this space more seriously as a company.  They are getting to arrogant for my liking.
    Someone else is getting too big for his britches.

    Yep, that is the way to spell "too" in that usage. It means like "too much." Written language is a technology, Mr. Prodigy.

    I wouldn't be on your case if it weren't for your arrogant post in the Donald Trump thread yesterday, along with this one.
  • Reply 18 of 32
    MacProMacPro Posts: 19,727member
    I think he has an idea for a thermostat Google might be interested in....
    My first though was whatever he starts Google will probably buy.
    calibrakken
  • Reply 19 of 32
    calicali Posts: 3,494member
    I think he has an idea for a thermostat Google might be interested in....
    My first though was whatever he starts Google will probably buy.
    Goog thinking they can have a piece of Apple magic. If I ever apply at Goog I know what to put on my resume :wink: 

  • Reply 20 of 32
    thrangthrang Posts: 1,008member
    sblife said:
    You guys need to wake up! Siri + Deep Search is a BIG DEAL! It needs work and polish but it really is the future of television.
    That has nothing to do with his UI role
    6Sgoldfish
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